Government Initiates In-Depth Research into India’s Indigenous Cultures

To protect, promote and preserve various forms of folk art and culture throughout the country including indigenous culture, the Government of India has set up seven Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs) in the country during the year 1985-86 with headquarters at Patiala, Nagpur, Udaipur, Prayagraj, Kolkata, Dimapur and Thanjavur. These ZCCs organize various cultural activities and programmes on regular basis in the country for which annual grant-in-aid is provided to them.

Further, to preserve traditional knowledge, the Ministry of Culture has set up Regional Centres and Project Offices under its various autonomous bodies which inter-alia work for the upliftment and preservation of the culture and heritage including indigenous culture.

Such Centres set up during the last 10 years are as under: